Did our TJs ever come with a vinyl steering wheel?

[Andy-WhiteTJ]

'98 - Crappy Vinyl, Son's '03 Sahara - Leather, Daughter's '04 Sport - Leather

 

[kincaid.0678]

Mine is vinyl. Stock 97 SE.

Same here

 

[TheBoogieman]

My impression was it was an 05-06 thing, same time they went to a leather shift boot.

The shift boot isn't real leather. My 03' Rubicon has the leather wrapped steering wheel.

 

[mrblaine]

I don't know if the lifespan is just that consistent, or if my post-COVID habit of using hand sanitizer after pumping gas and maybe not always waiting for it to completely evaporate before putting my hands on the wheel accelerated it's demise. I have no memory of noticing it at all until about a year ago when it went straight from unnoticed to peeling my hand off the wheel and I've been keeping with the 9-and-3 grip because it's not sticky there like it is at 12:00.

I don't know what sanitizer does but I do know what brake fluid does. Even after you wipe your hands really well on some clean shop towels, that ain't enough. Ruins the leather finish almost immediately.

 

[TLT1964]

'97--leather, over 200k and still good shape.